Photos by Laura Fox (LLFoxphotos); Review by Laura Fox and Dave Fox
Of all the hair-metal bands, Def Leppard has always been my favorite. I never made it to one of their shows, however, until they came to Indianapolis on August 16, 2022, on The Stadium Tour with co-headliners Motley Crue. I expected - and received - a kick-ass performance from the UK-based band.
Except for three new tracks from their latest LP, “Diamond Star Halos,” I knew every song in their 17-tune set. They started with “Take What You Want” (one of the new songs)and ended with their biggest hit, “Photograph.” Other than a couple of ballads and two acoustic songs, the music increased in intensity throughout the set.
Lead singer Joe Elliott’s vocals were strong, even on the high notes. Guitarists Phil Collen and Viv Campbell had plenty of rock-star attitude and hot licks, as did bassist Rick Savage. Although it was hard to see drummer Rick Allen’s face behind the cymbals for most of the show, his drum solo during “Switch 625” was mesmerizing.
My favorite moment of the show came while I was in the photo pit and Phil Collen reached over my head and handed a gold pick to one of the fans in the front row. She and her friend had been to over 100 Def Leppard concerts, including most, if not all, the gigs on this tour. I love when artists personally hand keepsakes to the fans rather than whipping them into the crowd.
There were only two reasons why the Def Leppard didn’t get straight As on our report card: overall sound and production. For the first half of the show, the sound seemed distorted where we were sitting, which was in the second section of seats on the floor near the center of the stage. It bothered me more than it did Dave. Although I loved the production and thought the giant screens and graphics were gorgeous, Dave didn’t care much for the mirror images of the live footage. To each his own!
Here’s our report card for Def Leppard:
If you don’t have tickets to The Stadium Tour yet, what are you waiting for? Here’s your link:
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